Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 6-10 of 107
 Solid return for the original Crue members September 3, 2008
R. Gorham
10 out of 10 found this review helpful
THE BAND: Vince Neil (vocals), Mick Mars (guitars), Nikki Sixx (bass), Tommy Lee (drums & percussion).
THE DISCS: (2008) Disc-1 is the music disc - containing 13 tracks and clocking in at approximately 44 minutes. Disc-2 is the DVD - containing interviews, concert footage and music videos. Included with the disc is 6-page foldout containing band photos, song titles and website info. This is the band's 9th studio album (previous album was "New Tattoo" in 2000). Recorded at the Lightning Bolt Garage (Los Angeles). Label - Eleven Seven Music / Motley Records.
COMMENTS: In 2008, the original 4 Crue members are reunited. After almost 20 years, enter a once banished Vince Neil and team sobriety. Following the band's commercially successful "Dr. Feelgood" (1988), the band remained alive in name, but the members had developing outside interests. Neil - driving race cars, inhaling hot fudge sundaes, and battling his inner demons. Sixx - writing his memoirs, battling addictions, recruiting new bandmates, and releasing a solo album. Mars - flying under the radar and still involved with all things Crue. Lee - busy with solo albums, and reality TV (going to college, and "Rockstar Supernova"). Motley Crue released a few albums with substitute members - receiving only mild success. So being a Crue fan since "Too Fast For Love" (1981), I really wanted to see if the original 4 had something to say. I bought the disc blindly...having heard none of the songs. After dozens of spins, I find myself really surprised with "Saints Of Los Angeles" - in a good way. Sixx remains the main creator behind the songs, though I find it slightly disappointing that many of the tracks are co-written by members outside the Crue (not to mention Mars with only 2 songwriting credits and Lee with 1). This truly makes me wonder how many creative juices are left in the tank. Sixx's bass guitar, as usual, is solid. Vince Neil is back with a vengeance - though his voice is (still) limited and a bit gruff at times, he still sounds great two-and-a-half decades after their first release. Neil has never been an outstanding singer, but he fits with the Crue and you always knew what you were getting with him belting out the lyrics. Mars' guitar is loud and crunchy - a warm fuzzy feeling... like you're back in the 80's. Tommy Lee, though outspoken at times, is an accomplished hard rock drummer. He still has the licks and beat behind the kit. As for the music... the album starts off with a slow minute-an-a-half Sci-Fi welcome with "L.A.M.F." - reminiscent of the way "Shout At The Devil" (1983) started out so many years ago. The album proceeds to kick out your front teeth with 12 hard rocking songs that will surely get your heart pumping. The title track is the first hit to be released, and I can see the slow, yet heavy rocker "The Animal In Me" reaching the airwaves in the near future. Other standouts include "Down At The Whiskey" (my favorite on the album), the opener "Face Down In The Dirt", "Just Another Psycho", the head-bobbing fist waving title track, and "Welcome To The Machine" (not a remake of Pink Floyd's classic). Like most albums, there has to a clunker or two... my least favorite tracks include "White Trash Circus" (sounds way too close to a Marilyn Manson song), and "Chicks = Trouble" (with its trite chorus and lyrics). Does one song stand above the rest? Is there a bonified Top 10 hit here? Is there a "Looks That Kill", "Home Sweet Home" or "Kickstart My Heart" that will win radio stations over for the next year? Probably not. Still, the album as a whole simply kicks ass. Overall - a solid release from the old Motley Crue. Easily the band's best in any shape, manner or form since the late 80's. A nice comeback full of attitude and sleaze from one of the best Los Angeles hair bands (4.5 stars).
 At least it wasn't another compilation June 27, 2008
Bobby K. Daugherty (The Seven Seas)
9 out of 24 found this review helpful
While I and those like me, who still enjoy this type of music and look forward to the summer concert schedule in our area of residence, await with much anticipation new material of the bands that got us through our youth, I can not help but feel embaressed for the crue for putting out such a weak and dumb album. Quiet Riot could have done better than this. This album and the live version of "Kick Start My Heart" are reasons enough to avoid this tour. Vince is barely audible on the live tracks. I thought Mick Mars was the one dying, but he sounds better than Vince.
"New Tattoo" wasn't bad but it has been along time since they were great, like the late 80's. If it took this long to release an album of new material and this is the best they could come up with than they may as well hang it up.
 Outside Songwriters!?! June 25, 2008
vikerii
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
Well, apparently gone are the days when Motley could write songs on their own. EVERY SONG here has at least two outside writers, and most have three. I went back to my CD collection to compare, and aside from cover songs, THREE total songs out of their original lineup collection (81-89) had outside writers. What happened? Shouldn't they be better at this by now and need less help writing songs? If you want to buy this album to hear what Nikki, Mick, Tommy and Vince have to say, forget it. But if you want to hear words and chords from James Michael, DJ Ashba and Marti Frederiksen, then yeah this is your CD.
 Motley deliver the goods...A+++ June 26, 2008
Allister Fiend (Baltimore, MD United States)
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
I am stunned at how good this album is. Although I hoped for the best, I was actually expecting to be disappointed, but the Crue have delivered some serious rock with Saints of Los Angeles. The CD opens with the roaring "Face Down in the Dirt," which is an all-out rocker, and it just doesn't let up through track 13.
The production of this album is excellent. The guitar tone is as raw as Mick sounds when they play live. It's loud & rude and aggressive from start to finish. Unlike some of the older Crue albums where the bass is buried and inaudible, Nikki's bass cuts through on each track. And then there's the drums. Up until now, I'd say Tommy's best playing was on their self-titled album featuring Corabi. But on SOLA, Tommy's playing is outstanding. He's creative and interesting without overplaying. Few drummers can pull that off, but Tommy does.
All the tracks are good, but my favorites are "Face Down in the Dirt," "Down at the Whiskey," "Just Another Psycho," and "This Ain't a Love Song." Interestingly, the title track on here sounds even better than the single I downloaded from iTunes.
Motley delivered the goods on this one.
I only have one question... July 24, 2008
Thurston McCallister (Long Beach, CA)
7 out of 22 found this review helpful
After listening to this album, I only have one question:
Is it too late to ask Nikki Sixx to make a successful attempt at an overdose?
Ahhh, another $12 bucks wasted on a once-great band who is currently residing in the "Where are they now" file...
|
